Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1887-02-25
TENNYsoN's EARLY LOVE.


Tho Original OF "Taud" nnd tho Hero
inc of ''Ioclsslcy HILL"
Those who nrc familiar with the story
of Alfred Tcnnyson',, life lt!,c now name
docs not suit him so well us the old) WI
smile OH reading his latest work. Locks
ley Hall Sixty Years After over the
fnirit of self DECEPTION which runs
throughout the verses. TO the world
MAUD and "I.ockslcy Hall" are beau
tiful poems only. A few know that they
ar, something more than poems f the
imagination-thcy arc heart records. In
the sequel to ''Lockslcy Hail." just pub
lishcd. the poet tells his grandson that lie
could never have loved wording like
Judith who has played such sud havoc
with the susceptible youths feelings. but
this is precisely whit he did When AL
fired Tennyson was promising young
poet crowned with OXford's academic
laurcls, he woocd his first cousin, tho
ftcry of which wooing he afterwards
wove into beautiful verse and gave To the
world. Another s,litor, the wealthy hc;:'
to the carltlom of Boyne. however. aD-
pearcd on the scene and the fair Amy.
afterwards so literally ndjcctived M
''falsc and servilc. became Il pccrcSs.
Lord Boyne, who is the owner of large
estates and valuable coal mines in the
county of Durham the heart Of the
northern coal fields of England. freely
extended his hospitality to his BRIDES
cousin mt Branccpcth castle, q mo.!crn
but imposing mansion. The poet repaid
the Kindness by satirizing the good
natured peer, his brand now title and Ills
recently acquired wealth most mcrcessIy
in "Alaud" and 'LWlislcv Hall" In
dependent of hit wifcs very natural in
dignation, Lord Boync was not l,ratlied
to find his beautiful homo described by Il
recent guest as "gewgaw" caa.lc, or ut
having the world informed i'll verse, how
over harmonious. that his wealth had
come from the sweat of mincr.,; neither
did he enjoy the thought that the tongues
OF the world were wagginS over tho
story of his money having bought him Il
wife who preferred another lover. II is
possible, too, lie failed to see The beauty
of those Rembranlt-like touches wherein
hU is described ~ u clown and drunken.
1T smight be beautiful poetry. the out
ragged host urged, but it was not good
taste and it was not true His lortlahip
IL certainly one of the most commoI-
place and embarrassing of peers or of
commoncrs, but he is neither course nor
drunken, and Branccpcth castle with its
gliivcring larchcs knew Tenmyson no
moro.
Mr. Tcnnyscn's wounds healed like
those Of many another lovesick swain
whose limited faculty of expression could
not lead him into such betrayal of the
Larcs and Pcnatcs; but popular M he is
Ms poet, he has never gone to the hearts
of tho English people. In his early days
he was radical To the core, and his verses
overlooked with the best instincts of hui
manity. Time has brought him wealth
and he has accepted n pceragc, from
which it is safe TO assume that he no
longer feels that contempt for new titles
which he did in the days when he lam
pooncd his successful rival. In reading
his latest production one is reminded tf
II famous mot, applied by IL wit to an
ovcrpraised nobeman: ~ heard YOU
were lor,l an:ong wits, but / find YOU
arc only wit among lo.ds.' Alfred
Tennyson was once lord among poets:
his new volume has proved him merely II
poet among lor,ls.-New York World.